After installing node order I see the "view" and "Order nodes" tabs at the top of my page.
After reordering my different nodes to the order I want, they still appear in the reverse order they were created.

What other setting or code do I need to change for my reordering to take affect?

Thanks.

Turns out you have to view the page .../nodeorder/term/40 instead of /category/page-category/news-today to see the order changed. This is a BIG disappointment.

OK, I figured what the problem was. the above issue occurs for category terms created BEFORE installing and enabling Node Order module. For category terms created AFTER enabling Node Order everything works fine. sorry for any confusion. I was confused obviously.